The Road Not Taken
by Skye007lex
Summary: DG the innocent and good, the daughter of light, and the destined savor of the OZ...or...not. This time the witch gets the princess she intended to on that fateful day in the cave and a new adventure unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, own nothing of Tin Man. It belongs to Sci-Fi and its wonderful creators.

**The Road Not Taken**

**Chapter 1**

"Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble."

"Oh, c'mon Az!" the young princess replied. She jumped to her feet in a blur of movement before her petite form ran quickly towards the trees.

"DG!" Azkadellia cried in response. She reached out for her sister but her hands returned empty. "Don't DG," she almost begged and gave a frantic glance back at the shores of Finaqua, where they had been asked to remain. The urge to obey her mother's simple request was strong and it briefly halted any movement from the older princess.

"Az!" Her sister beckoned with an impatient wave of her arm before she disappeared into an arched entrance between trees.

"Wait DG," Azkadellia called after her and rushed to catch up. "Wait for me!" Though the urge to obey her mother was strong, the absolute need to keep DG safe and out of harms way was greater. Her younger sister had the tendency to leap into things head first and without thinking. Azkadellia constantly worried about the dangers DG would stumble upon if left to her own devises.

The woods nearest to the shore and summer palace were somewhat flat and open, making it easy for Azkadellia to move swiftly. The red dress DG wore, an outcast amongst the greens and browns of the forest, was like a beacon and she never let it leave her sight. As she ducked low under branches and leapt over fallen logs and jagged stones, Azkadellia's only concern was to quickly reach her sister.

When she finally caught the younger girl, she slowed DG to a stop with a firm hand on her shoulder. "What were you thinking DG? We have no guard and have never gone this far into the forest," Azkadellia scolded with a low pant from the exercise.

DG had the grace to look up apologetically, and felt a wave of guilt over her sister's worries. "Sorry, Az."

Azkadellia's features softened and she gave DG a kind smile. "Apology accepted of course, but we need to get back before we are missed." She took her sister's smaller hand in her own with a gentle reach and turned to lead them back to Finaqua.

"No! Wait Az," DG cried out and with a stubborn tug she was free. "I know I heard crying. If someone's hurt, we have to help them."

"I don't hear anything DG," Azkadellia responded, the woods calm and silent. "No one is out here but us."

"Az, I swear I heard someone," DG replied and looked to her sister with bright eyes. "Please believe me."

"Oh, Deeg," Azkadellia sighed and kneeled down in front of her. "Of course I believe you."

"And you'll help me look?" DG added hopefully.

"I think your ears might be playing tricks on you."

"I know I heard something," DG affirmed. "Please, let's just go a little further? Please, Az? Please?"

Azkadellia knew once it was realized they had wandered off again, without the protection of a guard, she would be the one to suffer a larger punishment and scolding. For she was fourteen annuals, almost fifteen, and compared to her sister's eight it was Azkadellia who "should know better by now".

Father's words from the last lecture echoed in her thoughts and she grimaced at the memory of her parents' expressions of disappointment. The lecture from the Queen and her consort, after the last escapade, had lasted almost an hour. In addition to forty-five minutes it took to decide a punishment. For two weeks, after that day, Azkadellia had stared longingly at the empty space that had once stood her pianoforte. Her parents had gone as far as to remove it completely from the palace, leaving only the plush piano stool and the cold threat of a month long sentence for the next disobeyed rule.

'_A whole month,'_ Azkadellia sighed inwardly, a dread towards the quiet tedium an foreseen punishment. But the expectation and hope in her sister's eyes broke every ounce of her resolve. She'd give up anything to keep DG happy, even if it meant being without her favorite pastime.

Azkadellia's shoulders sunk and she spoke with a defeated sigh, "Well, we are most likely already in trouble. What are a few more minutes?"

"Oh, thank you!" DG clapped her hands together with enthusiasm. "Don't worry, Az, we'll be heroes! Mother can't punish heroes!"

"Don't be so sure," Azkadellia mumbled and stood. Once the dirt was brushed off the hem of her skirt, she took a deep breath and followed her sister further into the woodland.

Every tree looked like the last, large and towering, and their makeshift search party lost track of time easily. Azkadellia followed her sister silently, but was constantly looking back in hope she could memorize the path they journeyed. She had an uneasy knot twisted into her stomach and it throbbed with each step further into the trees. She'd never felt so uncomfortable and nervous, not on any of their other adventures. This fact blazed in her thoughts and Azkadellia fought the sudden instinct to grab a hold of DG and drag her back to Finaqua, kicking and screaming.

"Two little princesses dancing in a row," Her sister marched ahead and sung their mother's favorite song as she chased the imaginary. "Spinning fast and freely upon their little toes," she went on, Azkadellia frowned in return as she stumbled over the uneven ground.

"Where the light will take them, there's only one way to know…" Clouds shifted and covered the two suns. A layer of shadow now masked the woods. Azkadellia paused in her stride and noticed, with a glance, the eerie and cold appearance the woods had suddenly taken. "…Two little princesses dancing in a row."

"DG, wait." Azkadellia swallowed the chill that had crept up her spine, but finally let her instincts take over. "I don't like this. We need to turn back…now."

DG was unresponsive and stared towards the rocks in front of her with a curious gaze, "Look at this, Az."

Azkadellia stumbled closer and, with wide eyes, gazed ahead at the mouth of a ghostly cave. Crude and peculiar markings were painted above the slanted opening and though their meaning was unfamiliar to the princess, warning bells rang loudly in Azkadellia's ears.

"Do you hear that?" DG asked, her eyes glued to the darkness.

Azkadellia heard only the pound of her heartbeat against her chest. "We should get mother and father." DG lurched forward in response, ignoring her sister's concern and disappeared into the darkness. "Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble," Azkadellia called after her, the echo of her words her response.

'_I don't like this,'_ she thought unhappily, but stepped forward after her sister.

The light from the small opening did not reach much further than a few feet into the cave. Met with a foul stench, Azkadellia was almost grateful for the lack of sight. The air was damp and heavy and a wicked sense of decay lingered and burned her eyes and nose. "What is this place?" she asked out loud. "It's horrible."

"Hello?" DG called out into the dark and Azkadellia jumped at the sudden boom of sound, her boot kicking something on the ground.

An antique lantern lay abandoned at her feet, a thick layer of dust and yellow gunk on the glass. Azkadellia pulled it from the dirt and gravel by its handle and raised it high. Then, with a wave of magic and an open palm, she was rewarded with a glow from its insides. She relaxed slightly with its light.

"Look at this Az," her sister requested from further down the passageway. Azkadellia hurried to DG's side, a desire to keep her close.

The wall her sister was examining was covered in primeval drawings, much like the ones above the cave's opening. "It's the picture language of the ancients," she informed DG as she recognized a few of the symbols and the language structure.

"Do you know what it means?" DG asked eagerly, her discovery a great excitement.

"Some of it I think," Azkadellia replied and raised the lantern so she could read the pictures more clearly. "At the dawn of time…good battled evil…and the light conquered over the darkness…and then… something about an evil witch."

"Whoa," her sister looked up at the markings with wonder. "This place is neat."

"No its not," Azkadellia disagreed. "It's creepy, very creepy…and I think we should leave." The light in her lantern flickered violently and Azkadellia suddenly found herself backwards, pushed to the ground by an unseen force. She fell hard and twisted an ankle awkwardly, while her bare arms scraped against the sharp gravel.

"Az!" DG rushed forward and kneeled by her sister. "Are you ok?"

Azkadellia hissed in reply. She hugged her uninjured leg to her chest as she sat up, and willed back the tears that were threatening to spill. The cuts on her palms burned and bled, but they were no competition for the throb of pain in her ankle. "Oh, it hurts," she whimpered softly, as she looked to the motionless appendage stretched out before her. She dared not move it much, for even the slightest bit of motion caused a wave of ache.

"I don't think I can walk on it, Deeg," Azkadellia confessed after a few moments.

"The person down there might be able to help us," DG responded and pointed toward the darkness.

"There is no one there," Azkadellia groaned with frustration, her nerves on edge now. "There never was, DG."

DG backed away, hurt and angered by her sister's doubt. "You still don't believe me," she frowned as she jumped to her feet.

"I…" Azkadellia shut her eyes in exasperation and pain, "I believe you _thought_ you heard something…"

"But never believed there was someone out here," DG finished and almost stomped her foot. "Well, I'll show you, Azkadellia." She stepped away from her sister and moved deeper into the cave. "I'll save you…AND the person back there."

"No," Azkadellia warned in a strong voice. "Don't go down there, DG! It's not safe!" She spoke her last words to the shadows, her young sister already gone. "Come back here, DG! Deeg!" Azkadellia let out a huff of annoyance as she reached out for the glowing lantern and pulled it closer. Lifted high, she hoped for a glimpse of DG but found only aged stone and an empty path.

"So stubborn," she mumbled to herself. After a countless minuets alone, her anger faded into concern. Ready to blame herself if any harm came to DG, Azkadellia silently urged her sister to return hastily and unharmed.

She should have been more adamant about following her mother's request. How difficult was it to stay close to Finaqua? Or to have at least brought an escort when they wished to venture off? They were simple rules. Set in place to avoid precarious situations like the one Azkadellia now faced. If DG became injured, with her own ankle immobile, they could possibly be stranded into the night, until help arrived. A quick rescue, unfortunately, could take some time given that the forests of the Lake Country were vast and still largely uncharted.

Wishing she had learned a way to summon help with the aid of her magic, Azkadellia sat alone and fearful. Her only companions were the soft flicker of light from the aged lantern, a constant dripping of water somewhere down the path, and her own worries. When a vibration abruptly shook the walls and ground around her, her spine stiffened in response. A crash of rock followed the quake, its thunderous echo from the direction DG had gone.

"DG!" Azkadellia shouted in alarm. Her sister's desperate and frightened screams echoed in reply.

Azkadellia cried out for her sister and crawled forward, dragging the lantern and her leg behind. Not moving quickly enough however, she used the rush of adrenaline to pull herself to her feet. The injured ankle hollered in protest, but she pushed forward and used the nearest wall for support. Her upper body clung desperately to the rocky surface, hopping along the path as she called out for DG. Salty tears burned Azkadellia's eyes as her sister's cries began to grow faint.

"Hold on Deeg," she begged through tears, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm coming!"

A bitter gust of air crashed against her, its force darkened the lantern before it disappeared toward the entrance of the cave. Azkadellia knew something was not right with this cave and she braced herself against the stone wall, waiting for another surprise.

Though it was pitch black, she still clenched her eyes shut and easily regressed into a terrified child. She gasped in air, her throat filled with harsh swallows that burned her lungs. The lantern rattled as Azkadellia shook with panic, and she quickly clutched it to her chest. She was hesitant to return the flame. What would be there once she turned the light back on?

'_Deeg,'_ her inner voice reminded and gave her a morsel of nerve. She had to find her sister.

Shifting as quietly she could, Azkadellia braced herself against the wall and raised the lantern, preparing to light it. She took in one last deep breath and, with a shaking hand, raised her palm to the lantern. Light engulfed the space…

…and then she screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Road Not Taken**

**Chapter 2**

…_and then she screamed._

"DG," Azkadellia gasped, as her scream still echoed through the cave. "Oh my gosh, DG! Are you alright?" She stumbled forward, a hand still on the damp cold stone to keep her balance.

DG stood a foot in front of her sister, the small lantern casting eerie and harsh shadows over her young face. She had yet to reply to Azkadellia's question, her only response the slow blink of her eyes and an awkward tilt of her head. Worried her young sister was in shock, Azkadellia quickly inspected her sister for injuries. Finding only a bit of dust and dirt, she frowned in confusion.

"You were screaming, DG... and you sounded so scared. What happened?"

Her sister blinked in response.

"DG! What happened?" Azkadellia shouted unconsciously, her emotions tense. "Please answer me," she added in a soft plea, ready to cry.

"Nothing happened, sister," DG replied in a flat tone, unaffected by the distress in Azkadellia's voice.

"But... but you were screaming. It was awful."

"No I wasn't." Azkadellia reeled back with her shock, not knowing what to make of DG's words. Her sister was never one to lie.

"I heard you, DG," she added more firmly, "and an awful crash. What happened down there?"

"You must be mistaken, sister. I heard nothing of what you speak of."

"Stop it DG," she snapped with frustration, losing her footing she let out a hiss of pain at the pressure on her injured ankle. "I know what I heard," she gasped out, closing her eyes to the pain. "I am not crazy."

"You're injured," DG calmly answered with a glance down at Azkadellia's foot. "I'll go and get help then."

Worried her sister would leave without her, Azkadellia reached out. "Wait DG, you have to help me back to the palace. It is almost dark and we should not separate." Her sister swiftly side stepped her outstretched hand and looked at it with an almost sneer of disgust.

"I cannot support your weight, sister. You'll have to wait here for my return." She nodded her head as if the matter was settled and began walking towards the entrance of the cave.

"No, DG! You cannot leave me!" The choking terror left Azkadellia momentarily and anger at DG's disobedience clouded her emotions. She watched her sister turn back, but the expression she wore was like none other Azkadellia had seen before. DG looked wicked.

"But she already has," she replied so softly that Azkadellia swore she'd misheard her. Then with a parting cruel smirk, her sister was gone.

ooOoo

Finaqua was peaceful. The setting sun warmed its shores as a soft breeze danced through the tall grass and wild flowers. Near to the water the Queen of the O.Z. was shaded in solitude, perched on a swing in the blue gazebo built by her ancestors. It was a lovely afternoon and, after an especially trying morning, she welcomed the quiet calm as she read quietly.

Her daughter's lesson with the royal tutor had not gone especially well. DG was having trouble controlling her newly emerging ability, relying heavily on her older sister's aid. The Queen had only warm thoughts for the special bond between her daughters, but Tutor had been adamant that Azkadellia was slowing DG's progress . Her eldest was an especially kind and patient older sister, and DG's adoration of her was impossible to hide. But perhaps Tutor was right. Azkadellia had had no assistance when her lesson first began years ago, and now she was confident and skillful. DG deserved that same opportunity.

Lifting her head from the pages of her book, the Queen gazed out onto the horizon thoughtfully. Azkadellia would continue to look out for DG as long as she was not otherwise occupied, but she had already mastered most of her studies including those of the arts. Her skill at the piano was especially awe-inspiring and Ahamo had spoken of her sculpting skills just last week. What Azkadellia needed was a new tutor and an entirely new subject to learn.

A stronger breeze stirred across the landscape and the Queen was suddenly met with the humorous image of her trusted advisor chasing after a lost scroll stolen by the breeze. She smiled softly to herself and left her swing in order to catch the paper before it could complete its journey towards the water.

"Oh, thank you your highness!" Ambrose panted as he hurried to her side. "I am truly sorry to have interrupted your reading."

"It's quite alright, Ambrose," the Queen reassured, passing the scroll to her friend. "I confess that I was doing more thinking than actual reading."

"I apologize none the less."

The Queen waved off his worry with a hand in the air and a smile. "Is this a new research project?" she inquired with a gesture to the paper now tucked under his arm.

"Oh yes!" Ambrose answered with enthusiasm. "I working on a prototype for a machine that might allow the O.Z. a longer growing season, shortening the winter months in the farmland. I have been mapping weather patterns all season long and hope to have a working blueprint by the next annual."

"Very impressive, Ambrose."

"Thank you, your highness. It is certainly high praise coming from you. I am still in the research stage, but the data I've collected so far looks very promising." They began to walk as they discussed his work, enjoying the warm summer afternoon. "Princess Azkadellia has been quiet helpful as of late. She's assisted in a bit of the research in her spare time after her lessons."

"Indeed?"

"Oh yes, she is very curious and has been finding her way into my laboratory often."

The Queen was quiet for a few minutes, thinking to herself as she and her advisor toured the lake shore. "And is her time in your lab truly useful, Ambrose? You're not just humoring the princess?"

"I assure you the princess has not been an inconvenience in the slightest. Azkadellia has a head for science, your highness. Her inquiries and opinions are very sharp and pensive."

"Would you consider then, taking her on as an apprentices or assistant of sorts?" Ambrose paused in his steps, attention fully on the words between them now. "Tutor believes Azkadellia's assistance is a hinder to her sister's progress. I've been pondering all afternoon for a solution. She is still far too young to attend the university, but has almost completed her lessons."

"You wish me to teach your daughter?" Ambrose clarified, and with the Queen's nod of affirmation a smile grew appeared on his face. "I am very honored with your faith in my abilities, your highness, and would be delighted to instruct the princess. I think she'll be very enthusiastic as well."

The Queen smiled in return, "So do I, Ambrose. She enjoys your company, as does DG. Speaking of my youngest..." She smiled past his shoulder as DG emerged on the path, her red dress standing out amongst the green foliage. A cold chill suddenly crept up the Queen's spine, but she shook it off and pulled her youngest into a gentle embrace.

"Hello sweetheart," the Queen greeted DG as her daughter stepped out of her arms. "Have you been exploring again with your sister?"

"I haven't seen Azkadellia is some time, mother." Her tone was stale, eyes cold and distant.

Ambrose frowned slightly, finding DG's behavior peculiar. When the princesses were not attending their lessons, they were usually inseparable. His train of thought was interrupted by the Queen's voice of worry. "Your sister is not with you?"

"She is not. I do not know where she is."

"But you two set out to spend the day together, DG. At what time did you part?"

"I don't know where my sister is, mother," DG replied with a hint of annoyance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to return to the palace."

"DG, wait. This is important..." The queen's words died on her lips after she reached forward to touch her daughter's arm to prevent her departure. DG snapped her body away with a growl, shocking the two adults who stood beside her.

"Don't touch me." They were words never once spoken to the queen by her youngest and her tone of voice was just as foreign. "I just wish to return to the palace. I am... I'm not feeling well, mother." The words were less harsh and her features had softened.

"Alright..." the Queen let her go, still stunned to silence with her daughter's previous response. She watched DG disappear down the path towards their summer home and hoped DG's strange behavior was due to her feeling unwell. Not something more serious.

ooOoo

It took Azkadellia some time to hobble to the mouth of the cave. Her ankle and firm grasp on the glowing lantern was an effort that slowed her progress. The ground was also uncooperative. It grew very uneven at times, and muddy or slippery in others. These conditions caused her to lose her footing every few steps and pulled a hiss from her lips when her injured foot stumbled.

When Azkadellia finally neared the entrance, the wall of the cave she'd braced herself against on her slow journey, started to slant and lower. Bent too awkwardly to continue with the aid of the wall for support, she had to hop on one foot the last few feet.

The opening of the cave was much darker now. The late afternoon sun was hidden by dark clouds and the umbrella of dark leaves above. The shadow over the forest was intimidating, and the small lantern she held created little comfort. Azkadellia wished to call out for her sister, but knew by now that DG was too far to even hear the echo of her words. The thought of attracting wild and dangerous animals with loud shouts also hindered her and stilled her movement forward.

Though, Azkadellia was hesitant to leave the cave, she feared DG would be unable to find it again when she returned with aid of guards or their parents. The darker skies and cold wind was what finally urged her forward. While it was still daylight she should start back towards Finaqua, and hopefully meet the search party half way.

A large enough branch was pulled from the cool ground and used as a makeshift crutch. It dug into her underarm painfully and proved awkward to grasp it and the lantern. Azkadellia was determined though, and her thoughts of leaving the forest clouded any bruises or splinters that marred her arm and hands.

It grew dark much too soon, and Azkadellia worried she'd gone the wrong way or had traveled in slow circles. The woods were unfamiliar and each direction looked a clone of the opposite.

"My days of exploring are over I think," she mumbled to herself sarcastically, pausing to rest against a cluster of boulders. The lantern's light died for the second time since her departure from the cave, and she raised a tired hand to ignite it once more. She was still young and her magic much weaker than her mother's, sometimes drained by her exhaustion.

The crunch of twigs and earth pulled her from her rest. She suddenly stood straighter against the high stone and peered around for the source of the sound. An eager bubble of hope rose within and Azkadellia held a breath as a shadow rounded the boulder.

"DG?"

The low grunt and puff of breath that returned her voice belong not to her sister, but of a large brown bear. It emerged around the rock on all four paws and growled hungrily as it saw her. Azkadellia feared it was the same bear she and DG had stumbled upon last week and frightened off with their combined magic.

The creature's sniff and added growl suggested that it was indeed that same animal.

She choked a gasp and staggered backward as the bear lurched closer. The cluster of high stone and her injury left Azkadellia trapped and devoid of an escape. Instinctively she pushed the handle of the lantern through her wrist and raised the branch with both hands towards the bear.

"Get away!" she hollered and hoped to frighten it. She swung the branch wildly, her back pressed against the stone for support. Angered, the bear raised a heavy paw towards her in retaliation. Claws missed her by a short distance and Azkadellia whipped the branch in desperation. The tip of the wood crashed against the animal's noise and it blinked rapidly in pain before it shook its massive head in fury.

A snarl echoed in the small area of forest, before the animal lurched forward towards its prey.


End file.
